The "Ugly Truth" ain't Pretty

Bob Dylan Admits Sold Soul to Devil

The song “Crossroads” was originally recorded by Blues musician Robert Johnson in the 1930s. According to legend, Johnson went to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil, giving up his soul for the ability to play the blues. The story originates from an interview with Blues singer Son House, who explained how Johnson went from being a terrible guitar player to a very good one in a very short period of time. Over the years, the story grew into the tale of Johnson selling his soul to the devil.

Johnson fueled the legend on this track “Me And The Devil Blues,” where he sings about his meeting with Satan himself. In that song, Johnson explains that as part of his deal with the devil, the prince of darkness would harvest all of Robert’s “Childrens” at the age of 27, which is exactly how old Robert was when he died in 1938.

A spooky correlation is the number of music stars who have died at age 27. Some members of the “27 Club” include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Pigpen (Grateful Dead), Gram Parsons, Al Wilson (Canned Heat), Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones) and Kurt Cobain (Nirvana).

According to legend, as a young man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi, Robert Johnson was branded with a burning desire to become a great blues musician. He was “instructed” to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight. There he was met by a large black man (the Devil) who took the guitar and tuned it. The “Devil” played a few songs and then returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument. This was in effect, a deal with the Devil mirroring the legend of Faust. In exchange for his soul, Robert Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became famous.